Plate stop mechanism for stereotype plate registering and trimming machines



1,1952 P. L. TOLLISON ET AL 8 ,2 0

' PLATE STOP MECHANISM FOR STEREOTYPE PLATE REGISTERING AND TRIMMING MACHINES Original Filed April 27, 1948 3 Sheets-Sheet l ATTORNEYS P. L. TOLLISON ETAL PLATE STOP MEC Jan. 1, 1952 2,581,220

HANISM FOR STEREOTYPE PLATE 7 REGISTERING AND TRIMMING MACHINES Original Filed April 27, 1948 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 l INVENTORS PflUL L 701i lJO/V I (Aw/P455 L moo/r05 w I BY ATTORNEYS Jan. 1, 1952 PLATE STOP REGISTERING AND TRIMMING MACHINES Original Filed April 2 L. TOLLISON ET AL 2,581,220

MECHANISM FOR STEREOTYPE PLATE (5 Sheets-Sheet 5 '76 90 9 1 IM'LWWWWW i a 6/ P WWwGn-BMA ATTO R N EYS Patented Jan. 1, 1952 PLATE STOP MECHANISM FOR STEREOTYPEI PLATE REGISTERING AND TRIMMIN G MACHINES Paul L. Tollison, North Plainfield, and Charles L. Ricards, South Plainfield, N. J., assignors to Wood Newspaper Plainfield, N. J., a. c

Original application A 23,444. Divided and 4 Claims.

This invention relates to improved apparatus for trimming curved stereotype printing plates for use in rotary printing presses. In color printing. a plurality of plates are used to print each out, each of the several plates being inked with a diiferent color. Unless such plates are in exact registry with each other, multiple impressions, blurring and oif-color images are produced in the printed reproduction. To avoid these difficulties, it has been proposed-to pre' form registry marks near the corner of each plate, to bring one plate to a position in which its register marks are approximately aligned with registry devices held in fixed position, to trim the edges of that plate and then to successively register the other plates in turn with the same devices and trim such other plates. A machine of the type generally described is disclosed in United States Patent No. 2,425,580.

Known plate registering and trimming machines of the type referred to have no stops for locating the plate longitudinally on the machine cylinder which carries the plate while it is being brought into registry and trimmed. Both of the curved end edges of the plate are trimmed, so that stops engaging these edges would foul the trimming cutters as the plate moves relative thereto.

The present invention has for its object the provision of an improved machine for registering and trimming curved printing plates which includes an improved plate stop for locating the plate longitudinally on the cylinder that supports it during the registering and trimming operations. The stop does not rotate with the plate and so does not foul the plate end trimming cutter but moves longitudinally with the plate when Machinery Corporation, orporation of Virginia pril 27, 1948, Serial No. this application June 9, 1950, Serial No. 166,996

the plate is adjustably moved to its position of registry. The improved stop moves away from the. plate edge at the start of plate movement relative to the trimming cutter so that an angular plate edge does not bind against the stop during trimming. This application is a division of our copending application Serial No. 23,444, filed April 2'7, 1948, entitled Pm-Registering of .Plates by Projection of Register Marks.

In describing the invention in detail, reference will be made to the accompanying drawings in which an embodiment of the improved machine is illustrated.

In the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a top plan view of a plate registering and trimming machine equipped with the plate stop mechanism of the present invention;

Fig. 2 is a sectional view showing the interior of the mechanism compartmentof the machine taken along the'line 2'-2 of Fig. 1

Fig. 3 is a sectional view on an enlarged scale of the plate stop mechanism;

Fig. 4 is an end elevation of the mechanism shown in Fig. 3 taken along the line 4-4 of Fig. 3;

Fig. 5 is an end elevation of the plate stop op,- erating cam, taken along the line 5-5 of Fig. 3; and

Fig. 6 is a plan view of the plate stop mechanism taken along the line 6-6 of Fig. 3.

As shown in Fig. l, the disclosed machine includes a mechanism compartment l2,- the left hand end of which, as shown in Fig. 1, consti tutes the front of the machine where the operator stands and where the controls are located.

The compartment 12 contains a printing plate carrying cylinder I! that surrounds and is carried by a carrier together with mechanism for adjusting the cylinder circumferentially relative to the carrier. and axially of the compartment with the carrier, and mechanism for trimmingboth end edgesand one side edge of a semicylindrical printing plate carried by the cylinder. The mechanism for adjusting the cylinder circumferentially of its carrier and axially of the compartment is described in detail in our abovementioned copending application Serial No. 23,444 and in the aforesaid Patent No. 2,425,580.

The particular mechanism employed to clamp the plate on the cylinder I1, to adjustably move the cylinder I! and the carrier and to perform the plate edge trimming operations will not be described in detail. Such mechanism is described in the aforesaid Patent No. 2,425,580. For an understanding of the present invention, it is suf--' ficient to explain the general operation of such mechanism.

The plate 21 is clamped in position on the cylinder I! by straps 30 and the straps are moved between plate clampingand releasing positions by manipulation of a hand crank 39 which acts through a shaft 40, a crank 4|, a crank 46, a shaft 43, pinions 45 and 44, a shaft 35 and cranks 34 connectedto the straps 30 (Fig. 2). The pin and lug connection42, 41, between the cranks 4| and 46 is so arranged as to be completed when the cylinder I1 is in its starting position, and the lugs 4'! can move away from the pin when the cylinder I! rotates. Longitudinal adjustment of the cylinder I! and the carrier axially of the cylinder is effected by rotation of the hand wheel Ill. Circumferential adjustment of the cylinder l1 relative to the carrier is efiected by rotation of the hand wheel 53. A pair of spaced cutters 12 trims the curved end edges of the plate 21 as the cylinder-l1 is rotated, and these cutters are driven from a suitable motor through theshaft 13, the pulley l6- and the belts H l. The cylinder ii is rotated to effect such trimming by man ually turning a counterweighted crank 193 which drives a shaft 484 through beveled gears i and 16. (Fig. l.) The shaft [04 carries a pinion 35 that engages a gear 95 that is in turn connected to rotate the cylinder El through its carrier. Such rotation of the carrier and the cylinder moves a plate edge trimming cutter Tllongitudinally of the plate 21 through mechanism described in the aforesaid Patent No. 2,425,580.

A cover H is hingedly secured to the mecha-- nlsm compartment H2 at H0, The cover H closes the mechanism compartment [2- when the machine is operated to trim a plate, and so prevents throwing of metal chips out of the machine.

A crank H32 on the front of the mechanism compartment l2 operates mechanism for releasably locking the gear 85 and hence the cylinder l1 against rotational movement when these parts are in the starting position.

The plate stop mechanism in conjunction with the stop 29 locates the plate 21 on the cylinder 11 before the plate is moved into registry. As shown in Figs. 1, 2, 3, L and by screws 81 to the outer rim of the stationary internal gear 93 and the adjacent disc 83 that supports this gear A slide 80 is supported in a recess intne bracket 86 and a central longitudina-l slot- 8! is provided in this slide. A block 18 fixed to the bracket 86 by a screw 19 and a pin 89 engages the slide slot 8!. A coiled compressed spring 90 isdisposed in the slot 8! between the block 18 and the right hand end of the slot as viewed in Figs.- 3 and 6, toward the right, The slide 80 is held in the recess of the bracket 86 by a cover plate 94, and a plate stop 96 is secured to the inner end of the slide 80' by the screws 91. Aroller 98 is rotatably secured to the lower face of the slide 80 at its outer end by a screw stud 99. A cam 100 is fixed to the inner face of the gear 95 by a screw It i. The roller 98 rests on the cam 100' when the cylinder I1 is in the starting position.

After plate 21 is secured to the cylinder H with one of its side edges abutting the bar stop 29 and one of its and edges abutting the stop 96, axial adjustment of the plate 21 is obtained by a movement of the cylinder I1 and the carrier, and the gears i'l5 and 93 move axially in unison with the cylinder and its carrier. Circumferential adjustment is obtained by turning the cylinder 11 relative to the carrier, the gears 95 and 93 and the plate stop 96. After the plate has been adjustably moved to the desired position, the cylnder i1 and carrier are rotated to trim the plate by means of the crank I03, and during the initial rotary movement of the gear 95 which turns the cylinder H, the cam Hi0 moves away from the roller 98 and the plate stop slide 80 is moved outward by the spring 90 so that the plate stop 96 clears the end edge of the plate. Thisbetween the plate edge and the prevents binding stop 88 during continued rotation of the plate incident to the trimming operation.

We claim:

1. In a curved stereotype plate registering and trimming machine, in combination, a mechanism compartment, 2'. plate carrying cylinder rotatably mounted in said compartment, 2. plate end stop mounted in said compartment and having a stop element extending adjacent the cylindrical sur face of said cylinder near for mounting said stop element to move longitudinally of said cylinder, resilient means biasing 6, a bracket 86 is secured thus urging the slide 80 i one end thereof means ,7

said stop elements to move toward the adjacent end of said cylinder rotatable means for turning said cylinder, and means operated by said rotatable means for permitting said stop element to move towardthe adjacent end of said cylinder under the bias of said resilient means when rotation of said cylinder is initiated.

2. In a curved stereotype plate registering and trimming machine, in combination, a mechanism compartment, 2. plate carrying cylinder rotatably mounted in said compartment, a non-rotating member adjacent one end of said cylinder, a plate stop assembly mounted on said non-rotating member and including a plate end engaging part extending adjacent the cylindrical surface of said cylinder, near said one end thereof, means for mounting said plate end engaging part to move longitudinally of the cylinder, resilient means for biasing said plate end engaging part to move toward said one end of the cylinder, a part rotatable with said cylinder adjacent said plate stop assembly, and interengaging means on said plate end engaging part and said rotatable part for preventing longitudinal movement of said plate end engaging part by said resilient means when said cylinder is in a predetermined position.

3. In. a curved stereotype plate registering and trimming machine, in combination, a mechanism compartment, a plate carrying cylinder rotatably mounted in said compartment, a non-rotating member adjacent one end of said cylinder, a plate stop assembly mounted onsaid non-rotating member and including a plate end engaging part extending adjacent the cylindrical surface of said cylinder near said one end thereof, means for mounting said plate end engagingpart to, move longitudinally of said cylinder, a spring for biasing said plate end engaging part to move toward said one end of said cylinder, 2. part rotatable with said cylinder adjacent said non-rotating member, means on said rotating part for engaging said plate end engaging part and preventing movement thereof by said spring until said cylinder and said rotating part are turned away from an initial position, and means insaid compartment for trimming the end edges of a plate carried by said cylinder when said cylinder is rotated away from such initial position.

4. A curved stereotype plate registering and trimming machine comprising a mechanism compartment, 9. plate carrying cylinder rotatably mounted in said compartment, means for remov ably securing a curved stereotype plate to said cylinder, a non-rotating member adjacent one end of said cylinder, a part rotating with said cylinder adjacent said non-rotatingmember, a plate stop assembly carried by said non-rotating member including aplate engaging part movable longitudinally oisaid cylinder and having an end extending adjacent the cylindrical surface of said cylinder near one end thereof, a spring biasing said plate engaging part to move toward said one end of said cylinder, a cam on said rotating part engageable with said plate engaging part to prevent movement thereof by said spring until said cylinder and said rotating part are turned from an initial position, and means in said compartment for trimming the end edges of a plate carried by said cylinder when said cylinder is rotated beyond said initial position.

PAUL L'. TOLLISON. CHARLES L. RICARDS.

No references cited 

